Cap ribbon of plain weave black silk with 'HMS Volage' woven in gold metal thread (gold plate wrapped around a white silk core). Initially sailors painted the name of their ship on their hat. By the mid-19th century, they painted the ships name on the cap ribbon itself. Commander Philip R. Sharpe of the Waterwitch had his crew wear cap ribbons that had the ship’s name woven in metal thread. This was adopted by the Admiralty in 1868.